Battle of the boot in Kimberley
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:09
Can Olivier and co. add the Cheetahs' scalp to their 2010 list? (c) Gallo
Any match between hosts Griquas and the Free State Cheetahs is already spicy enough, a derby in the true tradition.
However, this Round Nine Currie Cup fixture in Kimberley have, as an added attraction, the sideshow of two of the most educated boots in the country.
In a game where Griquas will be desperate to win to ensure they stay in touch with the pace-setters of the competition, two of the most underrate flyhalves in South Africa will play pivotal roles in the outcome.
Last week Louis Strydom out-gunned Western Province sharp-shooter Willem de Waal. This week he goes head-to-head with Griquas captain Naas Olivier.
As the Cheetahs showed against WP last week, their new defensive pattern ensures that penalties become critical in keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Griquas are well aware that the Cheetahs are riding the crest of the wave after their impressive win at Newlands - where their lively forwards put one over on the 'mighty' Province pack.
"It will be a Cheetahs team with plenty of momentum that will arrive in Kimberley on Saturday," Griquas captain Naas Olivier told the Afrikaans daily, Volksblad.
He admitted that in order to have a realistic chance of beating a team that is just one point ahead of them ion the standings, Griquas will have to dominate the forward exchanges.
"We will be working hard to build up momentum through our forwards," the home team's flyhalf added.
However, it will be an equally determined Strydom that will confront Olivier and his Griquas teammates on Saturday.
Having had to endure his share if criticism - not just this season, but over a number of years - Strydom is determined to shed his journeyman tag and prove his is a show-stopper in his own right.
He has been put under pressure by young Sias Ebersohn, and played the occasional game off the bench.
However, in last week's win over Province the 29–year–old Strydom showed he still has plenty to offer the Free State outfit.
He admitted that some of criticism about his game have been hurtful, but he plans to answer them in the only way he knows, on the playing field.
"It is easy to comment from the sideline, but critics often don't know what the team's instructions are," Strydom told Volksblad.
He is determined to have a repeat of last week's showing - when he succeeded with seven out of seven shots at goal and produced a masterly tactical performance in the second half to help secure a crucial away win for the Cheetahs.
Recent results:
2007: Free State Cheetahs won 51-10, Bloemfontein
2007: Free State Cheetahs won 21-17, Kimberley
2008: Free State Cheetahs won 20-16, Kimberley
2008: Free State Cheetahs won 22-3, Bloemfontein
2009: Griquas won 28-18, Bloemfontein
2009: Free State Cheetahs won 58-13, Kimberley
2010: Free State
Cheetahs won 33-26, Bloemfontein
rugby365.com Prediction: This will be a cracker, they always are these Central Unions derbies. It may not be a free-scoring encounter, but the entertainment value will be in the intrigue as the two teams struggle for supremacy in a classic arm-wrestle. We think the Cheetahs have just too much class. The Free State Cheetahs to win by 10 to 15 points.
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Rocco Jansen, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Naas Olivier (captain), 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 Cecil Kemp, 4 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 3 Jean Botha, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Johan van Deventer, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Richard Lawson/Jean Stemmet, 22 Rudi Vogt.
Free State Cheetahs: 15
Hennie Daniller, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Tewis De Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Philip Van Der Walt, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 Kobus Calldo, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 WP Nel, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Tertius Carse, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Riaan Smit.
Date: Friday, September 3
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00)
Referee: Sindile Mayende
Assistant referees: François Veldsman, De Goede Haasbroek
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